How Sticky Growth Models Work

by Santosh

What really matters is not the raw numbers or vanity metrics but the direction and degree of progress. – Eric Ries, ‘The Lean Startup’.

Most online services can be cast as having a sticky engine of growth. At it’s heart is the question – “Is the experience rewarding enough for new users to return?”. A model built around this question can help you determine the direction and degree of progress for eCommerce services, creative communities, Saa’Services and many more business models.

Three measures come together in this model – Retention Rate, New Customer Rate and Growth Rate. Each measure has it’s own story to tell. If you’ve read ‘The Lean Startup’, you’ll also learn that the model can reveal if your venture has figured out how to leap forward consistently.

With this honest a metric at hand, you won’t lose your way. I’ve found the model handy in most of the projects that I’ve worked on. Below is an interpretation of the model and how the three measures are derived.